HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Coldfoot is a
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, su ...
(CDP) in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...
. The population was 34 at the 2020 census. It is said that the name was derived from travelers getting "cold feet" about making the 240-some-mile journey north to Deadhorse. Coldfoot primarily serves as a
truck stop A truck stop, known as a service station in the United Kingdom, and a travel center by major chains in the United States, is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest (parking), and often ready-made food and other services to motori ...
on the
Dalton Highway The James W. Dalton Highway, usually referred to as the Dalton Highway (and signed as Alaska Route 11), is a road in Alaska. It begins at the Elliott Highway, north of Fairbanks, and ends at Deadhorse (an unincorporated community within the ...
from
Fairbanks Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the ...
to
Prudhoe Bay Prudhoe Bay is a census-designated place (CDP) located in North Slope Borough, Alaska, North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 2,174 people, up from just f ...
. North of Coldfoot, there are no services for 240 miles (400 km), until Deadhorse. It has a restaurant and a small number of overnight accommodations (converted pipeline construction camp quarters). Bus tours along the highway typically take two days, with passengers spending the night in Coldfoot. The BLM, USFWS, and NPS jointly staff a small visitor center during the summer. The Coldfoot truck stop was founded by
Iditarod The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, more commonly known as The Iditarod, is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March. It travels from Anchorage to Nome, entirely within the US state of Alaska. Mushers and a team of between 12 a ...
champion Dick Mackey, who started his operation by selling hamburgers out of a converted school bus. Truckers helped build the existing truck stop and cafe. The Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) has a camp (Maintenance Station) in Coldfoot. The town was originally a mining camp named Slate Creek, and around 1900 got its present name when prospectors going up the nearby Middle Fork Koyukuk River would get "cold feet" and turn around. In 1902, Coldfoot had two roadhouses, two stores, seven saloons, and a gambling house. A post office operated from 1902 to 1912, then reopened in 1984.
Coldfoot Airport Coldfoot Airport is a state-owned, public-use airport located in Coldfoot, in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. Facilities and aircraft Coldfoot Airport covers an area of at an elevation of 1,042 feet (318 m) above ...
, on the west side of the Dalton Highway, consists of a 4,000-foot (1220 m) gravel strip, used for air taxi and general aviation. Coldfoot has been featured on ''
Ice Road Truckers ''Ice Road Truckers'' (commercially abbreviated ''IRT'') is a reality television series that premiered on History Channel, on June 17, 2007. It features the activities of drivers who operate trucks on seasonal routes crossing frozen lakes an ...
'', a Canadian
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
series airing on the
History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Dis ...
. The truck stop was first seen during the show's third season. The show, which dramatizes trucking on the Dalton Highway, often features truckers transporting equipment to the oil companies located in or around the Prudhoe Bay area.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...
, Coldfoot has a total area of , which is all land.


Demographics

Coldfoot first appeared on the 2000 U.S. Census as a census-designated place. At the 2000 census, there were thirteen people, six households, and one family residing in the CDP. The population density was 0.4 people per square mile (0.1/km²). There were twelve housing units at an average density of 0.3 per square mile (0.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 100% White. There were six households: two had children under the age of eighteen living with them, two were married couples living together, and four were non-families. Three households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.17, and the average family size was 4. The age distribution was three under the age of 18, one from 18 to 24, five from 25 to 44, and four from 45 to 64. The median age was 40 years. There were four females and nine males, including three females and seven males aged eighteen and over. The median household income was $61,250, and the per capita income was $42,620. None of the population was living below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
.


Education

The community was previously served by a school of the
Yukon–Koyukuk School District Yukon–Koyukuk School District (YKSD) is a school district headquartered in College, a census-designated place in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. It serves the Yukon–Koyukuk area. Schools * Allakaket School ( Allakaket) * Gladys Dart Sc ...
.Alaska School Map
"
Alaska Department of Education The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (EED) is the state agency controlling primary and secondary education in Alaska. It is headquartered in Juneau.
. 2013. Retrieved on March 13, 2017.


References


External links

*
Coldfoot Camp
{{authority control Census-designated places in Alaska Census-designated places in Unorganized Borough, Alaska Census-designated places in Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska Populated places of the Arctic United States